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April 06, 2009

Boozemakers Bring Women to Ski Slopes, and a Guy Complains?

Beer companies can’t give free ski tickets to women, no matter how many dudes outnumber them on the slopes, a proposed class action against Bear Valley Ski Co. claims.

The suit is brought by a slew of plaintiffs, including San Diego attorney Alfred Rava, a guy who is especially sensitive to unfairness against the not-as-fair sex, and has made a living off of discrimination suits opposing ladies-night-out-type promotions.

Serial killjoy goes after baseball, Mother’s Day and skiing, after the jump.

Rava appears undeterred by a December defeat
in a Los Angeles Angels suit that involved free gifts at ball games to women over 18 in honor of Mother’s Day 2005. Rava represented Michael Cohn, who despite receiving four free bags when he complained, sued under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. A district court in December said the event did not discriminate against men.

“We are not convinced the Angels' tote bag giveaway was in any way unreasonable, arbitrary, or invidious discrimination," the court wrote. "Cohn's complaint gathers further suspicion because Cohn, his friends, and his counsel have been involved in numerous of what have been characterized as 'shake down' lawsuits."

Rava, who did not return a call on Monday, has filed 40 lawsuits under the Unruh Act, according to a 2006 LA Times article. (This one is Rava v. Bear Valley Ski Co., JCCP4505.) He told the Times he was “shocked” when he didn’t receive a hat at a 2004 A’s game.

On Monday, Rava notched another victory in his favor. The Bear Valley suit, first filed in 2007 and also brought against Bacardi and Anheuser-Busch, can proceed after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr denied (.pdf) summary judgment.

Alas, perhaps Rava would rethink his suit and the judge would have ruled differently if either had ever enjoyed a day of spring bikini skiing ….